Frank Boyd Ford Sales and Service – Hillsborough, New Hampshire

This photo is perhaps one of the most entertaining and interesting pre-1930 car dealership images we have ever seen. The photo was staged to show the latest shipment of Fords to arrive at Frank Boyd Ford Sales and Service, a small town agency located in Hillsborough, New Hampshire.

The trucking arrangement was likely used to save on railroad shipping and handling costs which resulted in more profit for the dealer. Ford had an assembly plant in Cambridge, Massachusetts that was only a little less than ninety miles away and this truck may have delivered them from that plant. It is not known if the rig, appearing to be outfitted only for carrying Fords was owned by a trucking company, an independent trucker or the dealer.

After studying a large scale photo of the truck and its cargo being shipped in knocked-down or partially assembled form, we have been able to determine just what was loaded on it. At least two Ford Model TT Truck and possibly three Model T Car chassis’ minus wheels are loaded vertically on the sides of the truck and on the bed in the center.

Crates containing front and rear fenders are mounted on a rack above the cab and the front of the truck. In the middle between the stacked chassis’ can be seen the wheels and tires and other parts. The bed and the rack on the rear are carrying both roadster and touring car bodies. The photo dates from the 1919 to 1924 period.

Great photo, would be neat to recreate this and take the whole unit to a car show now ! Does the truck that is transporting all the parts have solid tires? Almost seems so, and if it does it must have been a very slow trip.

This delivery was probably being made from the local depot where everything had been delivered in a single box car. I imagine the dealer would have received a substantial discount if he accepted the cars “knocked down” and did the final assembly himself at his facility. Shipping the vehicles fully assembled would have probably required multiple box cars.

I find it interesting that the signs on the two assembled chassis hanging on the right side of the delivery truck and the lettering on the delivery truck cab and cab door have been apparently obscured for some reason.

It appears that way but none of the lettering is very vivid. In the large photo that we have here, Frank Boyd is readable on the two signs propped up on the rear axles.

Some of the lettering is visible on the side of the truck and just below the man’s hand we can make of MASS. which leads us to think that this truck was indeed run by a trucking company or an independent trucker from that state.

About

The Old Motor is a comprehensive online vintage automobile magazine that is updated daily. Featured are well over eleven thousand classic car, antique car and old car photos and videos along with information about them. In addition, a quick look at our categories menu will show you other sections that... Learn more.